Stronger

Earns your tears

Jeff Bauman (Jake Gyllenhaal) was at the 2013 Boston Marathon trying to win back an ex-girlfriend (Tatiana Maslany) when he got his legs blown off. He had to undergo years of physical therapy and deal with emotional chaos, an overprotective, alcoholic mother (a standout Miranda Richardson) and his own screw-uppedness in order to justify the role thrust upon him as Boston’s symbol of strength. Harder than it looks. There’s not an unpredictable frame in this fact-based movie, but Gyllenhaal and the fine cast, along with a great script, elevate it to an honest emotional high, and it earns your tears. (119 min)